During the regular season, theScore's NBA Power Rankings will be published every two weeks. This edition is the second of the regular season. It was compiled by editors John Chick, Wael Saghir, and Andrew Joe Potter.

Minus an uncharacteristic blowout loss to the Bucks, the Warriors are making it look easy again despite Stephen Curry and Draymond Green missing some time. They have the best offense in the Association by a wide margin. - Saghir

The Raptors' sole loss to date came against the red-hot Bucks. They're looking like a conference finals team right now, and both Kawhi Leonard and the vaunted bench have yet to play to their full potential. - Potter

It's impossible to count the Blazers out at this point. They sit fourth in the league in net rating and their star pair of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum is being aided by improved play from their surprisingly effective depth. - Saghir

Most expected the Nuggets to remain a sieve defensively this season. Instead, they're the West's second-best defensive team thanks to a renewed commitment to that end of the floor and strong rebounding. - Chick

Losing their first four games had some projecting the imminent demise of coach Billy Donovan, but the Thunder then ripped off seven straight wins before Saturday's loss in Dallas. They're 5-2 with Russell Westbrook in the lineup. - Potter

A skeptic will say Jimmy Butler doesn't address Philly's need for more perimeter shooting. However, he's above the league average in 3-point percentage so far, and adding an elite two-way player should make the Sixers a force to be reckoned with. - Chick

Gregg Popovich is doing it again. With no spacing or high-level defenders, the legendary head coach is managing to win games with mistake-free basketball. The Spurs lead the league in fewest turnovers (12.0) and fouls conceded (19.4) per game. - Saghir

A bevy of young talent on the wings, not to mention the perpetually underrated Al Horford, has staked the C's to a league-best defense. The offense, on par with the moribund Cavaliers and Magic near the bottom of the league rankings, is a shock. Talent should win out, though. - Potter

Charlotte boasts the fifth-best net rating in the league, yet possesses a middling record as five of its losses have come by a combined10 points. If the Hornets can fix their late-game execution, they could be a juggernaut. - Potter

The Clippers are one of the NBA's most aesthetically-pleasing teams, getting it done on both ends. Rookie Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has surely caused some front office execs to lose sleep for passing on him in the draft. - Saghir

After shooting unsustainably well on threes to start the year, the Pacers have regressed to an average offense. The defense, anchored by Victor Oladipo and accentuated by steady vets, remains very good. - Potter

The Jazz have flipped the script so far this year, boasting the eighth-best offensive rating but only the 20th-best defense. They'll look like world-beaters for a stretch, and then look completely overwhelmed. - Potter

Is it an accident the Lakers have looked significantly better defensively since picking up Tyson Chandler? L.A. will only go as far as LeBron James can carry them, but the team's chemistry is coming together. - Chick

The pendulum has swung back and forth for the Pelicans thus far. They came out of the gates with a 4-0 start, dropped their next six games, and have now won their last two. Their lack of perimeter depth could be what keeps them out of the playoff picture, even with an MVP-caliber season from Anthony Davis. - Saghir

For the first time in ages, the Kings are kind of fun. Still, they haven't beaten many quality teams, and three of their victories, over the Thunder, Wizards, and Timberwolves, came against teams experiencing some level of dysfunction when they faced the Kings. - Potter

The Rockets' concern coming into 2018-19 was supposed to be on defense. Instead, a high-octane roster that revolutionized iso-ball last season is scoring a rather pathetic 104.7 points per 100 possessions. - Chick

The middling Heat continue their mediocre ways, blowing double-digit leads and losing to the Pacers and Wizards on consecutive nights. Failing to land Butler via trade may hurt their chances of becoming competitive anytime soon. - Saghir

The Pistons are still finding themselves under new coach Dwane Casey. Their record is at .500, but all of their wins, except against Philadelphia, have come against middling-to-bad competition. - Potter

Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic, and Evan Fournier have kept the Magic afloat so far. Their struggles on both ends of the floor and a lack of legitimate point guard play should eventually catch up to them. - Saghir

Super rookie Luka Doncic has been outstanding, averaging 20.3 points, 6.5 boards, and 4.5 assists for a mostly lackluster team. Blowout wins against the Wizards and Thunder could turn the tide for Dallas after dropping six straight games. - Saghir

Any D.C. resident looking for a diversion from dysfunction will not find it in the Wizards. Washington is a bottom-third team both offensively and defensively, and on many nights, it appears to boil down to a lack of effort. - Chick

It's virtually impossible to predict how Trae Young will look on a nightly basis. The all-or-nothing rookie has made the Hawks watchable despite being among the league's worst teams. They'll be even more fun when sophomore center John Collins makes his season debut. - Saghir

Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton remain too raw to lead a team to prominence. Regardless, there's no excuse for their league-worst 100.1 points per 100 possessions. The emergence of TJ Warren's 3-pointer has been a welcome surprise. - Saghir

The Cavs claim ownership of a bottom-five offensive rating and a bottom-five defensive rating. Kevin Love's prolonged absence allows the team to tank unabashedly as their eyes now turn to Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett. - Potter